Understandıng and acceptance of evolutionary theory among Turkish university students

Acceptance level of evolutionary theory and factors predicting it were examined among Psychology majors from Doğuş University and Bahçeşehir University (N=99). About half of the students accepted evolutionary theory, which is a higher percentage than in previous reports. Positive attitudes towards science and parents’ education were positively correlated with acceptance whereas religiosity was negatively correlated. Understanding of evolutionary theory was surprisingly low. Understanding the theory and understanding the nature of science were unrelated to acceptance. Recommendations are made to improve the teaching of evolutionary theory.

Türk üniversite öğrencileri arasında evrim teorisini anlama ve kabul etme

Doğuş Üniversitesi ve Bahçeşehir Üniversitesi Psikoloji Bölümü öğrencileri (N=99) arasında evrim teorisini kabul etme düzeyi ve bunu belirleyen faktörler incelendi. Öğrencilerin yaklaşık yarısının evrim teorisini kabul ettiği bulundu. Bu oran önceki bulgulardan daha yüksektir. Bilime karşı olumlu tutuma sahip olmak ve anne-baba eğitim düzeyi kabul düzeyiyle pozitif korelasyon gösterirken dindarlık negatif korelasyon gösterdi. Evrim teorisini anlama düzeyi şaşırtıcı derecede düşüktü. Teoriyi anlama ve bilimin doğasını anlamayla teoriyi kabul düzeyi korelasyon göstermedi. Bulgulardan hareketle evrim teorisi eğitiminde nasıl daha ileri gidilebileceği tartışıldı.

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